Here Are The 8 Cheapest Electric Vehicles On Sale In The U.S. Today
The 2018 Nissan LEAF is one of the cheapest BEVs on the market and an InsideEVs’ top pick.
If price is the ONLY consideration, how do the current battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) available in the U.S. stack up?
It’s important to point out that you’ll be hard-pressed to find many
other publications putting out lists like these for electric vehicles.
There are very obvious reasons for that, but it warrants
some explanation for those that are unaware. It can be time-consuming
and frustrating to track down detailed pricing information, model year
changes, specific state-related availability, etc. for plug-in cars.
For this reason,
InsideEVs has decided that it’s going to
make a newfound effort to provide our readers with the most up-to-date
information in the form of LISTS for your education and convenience. Remember, we constantly update our
COMPARE EVs tab at the top of the home page, so all of this information is at your disposal indefinitely.
Read Also: Top 6 Plug-In Hybrids Ranked By Electric Range
We need to spend some time pointing out a number of disclaimers.
Otherwise, we’re looking at hundreds of potentially negative comments
saying, “Wait this car is only available in Cali,” or “You can’t even
get this car, there’s no stock,” or “This is a compliance car,” or “This
car isn’t even priced, it’s only available as a lease,” etc.
So, without further ado, here’s our list of the cheapest BEVs, with
plenty of disclaimers, so as not to upset the Feng Shui of our
environment, amidst our concerted attempt to assist EV advocates in
their future pursuits.
Keep in mind that all of these vehicles qualify for the $7,500 U.S. federal EV tax credit (see after-credit pricing here).
However, you MUST have the tax liability in order to qualify for it (if
you don’t owe the feds more than $7,500, you’re likely out of luck, and
if you choose to lease, it’s up to the manufacturer and/or dealership
to determine how much,
if any, rebate will be applied to your deal).
8) Chevrolet Bolt – $36,620
The Bolt EV is the most expensive car on this list, however, it’s available in
all U.S. states,
and decent inventory assumes anyone in the U.S. should be able to get
one immediately. Depending on your location, you may be able to secure a
pretty good deal. Let’s not forget that as far as affordable BEVs go,
you can’t top the Bolt EV’s 238-mile range.
7) Fiat 500e – $32,995
Many call the Fiat 500e a compliance car, and that comes as no surprise since it’s
only available in a few CARB states,
added to that fact that CEO Sergio Marchionne has asked that you please
don’t buy this car, or it will cause his company to lose money. With
all of that aside, it’s a blast to drive and relatively inexpensive. It
gets an EPA-rated 84 miles of range.
6) Kia Soul EV – $32,250
The Kia Soul has claimed a plethora of awards due to its immense
amount of space and versatility. It’s basically a compact car that
should be classified as an SUV/CUV. There are no other vehicles in its
class that offer such expansive passenger and cargo volume, not to
mention an industry-leading warranty and a low price tag. So, the BEV
variant seems like a no-brainer, right?
Honestly, if we could buy one tomorrow with no hassle (in Michigan or
Florida), it’s likely that we’d partake, especially when an updated
model with more range arrives. But ugh, again, it’s
not an option outside of California.
However, we’ve been apprised that with a little bit of effort, you may
be able to get one delivered to a dealership in your area, and there is
some stock in other CARB states and even outside of such states, but
it’s limited and rare. The latest iteration of the Soul EV returns 111 miles of real-world range.
5) Volkswagen e-Golf – $30,495
The Volkswagen e-Golf made a name for itself in our 2017 scorecard
recaps as that “jacka**” of the year, via Jay Cole! But, we all agree
wholeheartedly. VW is one of the most impressive and best-selling brands
across the globe. However, there’s nothing positive about offering a
fun-to-drive, super-popular, tried-and-true VW Golf in the EV variety,
and then
failing to stock it or update it. Nonetheless, if you can secure one, it’s a great hot hatch at a reasonable price. But, even with the now-bigger battery, you’ll only get 125 miles of range.
4) Nissan LEAF – $29,990
The all-new 2018 Nissan LEAF is really a no-brainer, and truly our
top pick
in terms of range, performance, passenger and cargo capacity, and
price. Yes, it falls in the middle of this list, but that’s not a true
representation of the LEAF’s quality and success. The current base LEAF will get you 151 miles of EPA range. And it is, and always has been,
available nationwide.
Many of our readers and visitors continue to dog on the LEAF’s lack
of a thermal management system for the battery pack. That fact that it
superficially degrades the battery pack is old news and not so much a
reality today. We have in-house experience over years and years of use
that proves otherwise.
However, it continues to plague the LEAF, but Nissan has assured us
that their new battery tech accounts for this and it’s really not at all
what many of us have seen/listened to/observed over the years. Lesson
learned (whether or not you choose to accept it): The LEAF’s lack
thereof shouldn’t be a major factor in your buying decision. This is
honestly no different from the multitude of comments about the Tesla
Model 3’s fit and finish issues. While there may be isolated instances,
it’s just not validated on a grand level.
3) Hyundai IONIQ Electric – $29,500
The Hyundai IONIQ Electric commands 124 miles of EPA-estimated
electric range. It looks like a “normal” car, offers decent room for
four adults, and plenty of space for cargo. Sadly, Hyundai can’t keep up
with demand, so inventory is generally quite low. It’s also
only available in California.
2) Ford Focus Electric – $29,120
The Ford Focus Electric will carry you 115 miles on a charge. It’s
nearly a carbon copy of its ICE stablemate, seating five with a cramped
rear seat, and offering respectable cargo capacity if you opt for the
hatchback. However, the Focus Electric hatch has almost 10 less cubic
feet behind the rear seats than the ICE Focus, making the utility of the
hatchback variant almost non-existent compared to a compact car with a
trunk (it’s basically the same amount of space as the ICE Focus’ small
trunk). Once again, this is a limited-production vehicle that’s
only available at dealerships in CARB states, however, you can order it nationwide and it can be serviced at most Ford dealerships.
1) smart fortwo ED – $23,800
C’mon, it’s way cheap, especially when you knock off the $7,500 rebate …
It’s really not all that cheap for what you’re getting. A two-seat
city car with 58 miles of range and a top speed of 81 mph! You’d think
Mercedes-Benz could do better. This thing should have more miles than
most cars on our list. However, it is MB, and the German automaker has
not proven it has a knack for popular, long-range EVs. Regardless of how
we feel about it, there’s definitely a place for such vehicles, and
based on the criteria (cheapest BEVs), it comes out ahead of the rest
and
it’s available nationwide, though stock is always low.
*Honorable Mention: 2017 Honda Clarity Electric – *as low as $199 per month (California and Oregon/lease only)
This is a fantastic car. The fact that’s it’s a Honda speaks volumes,
unless, of course, you only buy American, which is increasingly
challenging in this day and age. Not only did the Clarity PHEV arrive
and smack down the Toyota Prius Prime in all-electric range (47! vs.
25), the only plug-in to date to even tread close to the Chevy Volt),
the 89-mile BEV variant undercuts most all range rivals when price is
the primary factor. At $199 per month with only about $800 down, it’s
hard to beat. However, again, this is essentially a city car. 89 miles
of range won’t be your friend if you have a long commute or plan on
road-tripping.
Closing
Herein lies the rub with these type of LIST posts …
Being that you can’t get some cars nationwide, and some vehicles
don’t offer a reasonable range per price point, you may rank these cars
differently. But, the point is, these are the cheapest BEVs on the U.S.
market today, regardless of any other factors. Your job is to situate
your priorities, location, tax situation, range needs, and overall brand
commitment, and use this list as a reference to make the best decision
going forward.
After considerable research, in terms of nationwide availability and the best bang/range for your buck,
InsideEVs picks the 2018 Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Bolt. However, neither car tops our list of today’s cheapest BEVs.
